So I have had this idea for a while and I wanted to open a brainstorm session on the matter. I have no talent in scratch building, CAD design, pencil drawing, or anything. I handle spreadsheets for a living. This will likely be only a thought exercise, but isn't that what forums are for? I wonder what the community can draft up.

The objective is to create a concept of a Imperial Navy Heavy Bomber.

If the Marauder is our B-25 what would be our B-29
If the Marauder is our A-26 what would be our B-36
If the Marauder is our B-57 what would the B-52

I hope you see the relationship. I see our proud and beautiful Marauder bomber primarily as a tactical support aircraft. It fulfills a similar role to the performed by medium bombers of WWII, the A-26s of the Korea War, and the B-57 Canberra bomber of the Vietnam era.

So being an Air Force groupie, and a bomber nut in particular, I want (want to need) an Imperial heavy Bomber.

Sometime to equal/rival/surpass some of the heavy air the heretics and alien scum can produce.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Aeronautica-Imperialis/Aliens_and_Renegades/AERONAUTICA-IMPERIALIS-CHAOS-HARBINGER-BOMBER.html

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Aeronautica-Imperialis/Aliens_and_Renegades/AERONAUTICA-IMPERIALIS-TAU-MANTA.html

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Aeronautica-Imperialis/Aliens_and_Renegades/AERONAUTICA-IMPERIALIS-VAMPIRE-RAIDER.html

The idea I have is somehow taking either the B-52 or the British Vulcan bomber and creating a Imperialized versions of them.





I don't think the inverse wing on found on the other Imperial flyers would work on such a large scale. The bomber will have lots of turrets. A defense amendment configuration similar to a B-29, with two turrets forward, two turrets aft, and a tail gun, seems most probable. The front top turret would have more punch; on a B-29 the front top turret had 4 50 cals machine guns vs. 2 in the others. Would that translate to autocannons vs. heavy bolters in the 40K universe?

Those were my initial thoughts. So how would an Imperial Heavy Bomber look like and how would you build one. When answering those questions keep this image in mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIhGYu5Uc08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuS2Tz74y4I

:)

Thanks for any input

I did some sketches of an Imperial Dropship a few months ago that should work. Sorry about the terrible scan, I tried it a couple times and the only way I could get it to show was by cranking the contrast all the way down in Photobucket.

General idea was a Marauder body with more bulk and more efficient wings for aerobraking. The nose and tail sections could be modified to house turrets like the Marauder, and likewise the top and bottom of the fuselage have plenty of room for blister guns. Actually, I'd look at the B-17 for an efficient arrangement of a LOT of AA guns. I think they had up to 24 .50 cals by the end of WWII.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Do you know the B1-B Lancer, this terrible variable-geometry bomber?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x93t7u ... rel-page-2

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http://picasaweb.google.fr/107992692908156654514 My photos

There's no precedent for a swing wing imperial aircraft. The engines are hung right, though.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Here are the basic design concepts I came up for for Imperial Aircraft.

Octagonal Fuselage cross-section
All control surfaces reverse-swept, particularly wings.
Engine nacelles not hung from pylons; either flush with or built into wing.

Essentially, the wing structures of all IN aircraft are designed to look like an Aquila. They are generally perpindicular to the fuselage on the leading edge, and have a swept forward and cranked rear edge. THe Lighting, the first aircraft Forgeworld designed, breaks both these rules. They also have either a prominant dihedral (Lightnings), a downturned tip (T-Bolt) or both (Valkyrie).

Actually, the XB-70 would be a good start, with some modifications to the wing (something like what I posted above would look good). For a craft this size I decided lifting surface needed to take precedence over aesthics, so I kept the cranked rear edge, but added a cranked front edge as well.

Hope there are some ideas you can use there.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Imperial bombers also seem to generally be low-velocity types, as well. Aerodynamics is not a huge issue with the airframes, as they seem to be traveling at relatively low speeds. (for aircraft, anyway) The XB-70 looks a bit too 'sleek' for an Imperial Bomber, I'd say.

So I have been thinking some more on this and here are some design thoughts, it's all fluff.

1. B-29 style nose, where the cockpit in the front vs B-17 style nose. But still boxy, like a Horsa glider form WWII



2. High wing

3. Square air intakes, rounded jet exhast, similar to B-1 style.



4. four engines (Large). Close to the fuesalage or in the middle of wing?

5. Twin Tail, similar to B-24, or Lancaster. Allows for large tail turret

6. 4 remote controlled defensive turrets. Forward Top and Bottom, Aft Top and Bottom. Tail Gun posiition. Turrent gunners in weaons station inside the aircraft. Tail gunner all by himself.


I hestitate to suggest this how does the basic shape of the Star War Royal cruiser hold up in this discussion

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/Naboo%20Royal%20Cruiser.htm



Just imagine the cockpit on the front edge.

I saw these and thought they might be innteresting

http://members.cox.net/rebid/bldwing.htm

I found one candidate for conversion, http://luft46models.com/manufacturers/arado/are555.shtml

that could make a good manta

I like the arado and revell kits are usually reasonably priced.

Can you find a 1:144 version? The box says that thing has a wingspan of nearly a foot, and a length of 9 inches. Marauders are in the vicinity of 3 inches square.

Edit - This may be a better size.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

And a quick ebay search shows price is $97. Ouch. I guess with a wing span of 1 foot it is a large model hence the price.

The Horton Ho IX is probably better than the previous kit I linked, due to not having a deep keel-like fuselage.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Thinking about it, wouldn't a Starhawk bomber be the appropriate vehicle? It is an trans-orbital craft, isn't it?